Chapter 5 - The Garden Festival
I couldn't believe how messed up everything had been. Every time something good was about to happen, we were interrupted! I just needed one more chance and I would tell him how I truly felt…
After my library duty was over, I went back to my dorm to sleep. I didn't change into my pajamas. I just slept. I slept all night and woke up at 1pm, which was truly amazing because I always woke up before 10:00.
I got out of bed and walked out of my room, without bathing or changing my clothes. There was no library duty awaiting me that day so, I just walked around all day, talking to all of my friends and acquaintances. I played Triple Triad, losing every time. I never was very good at cards. It started to get bored until I came across Nida. He told me that Balamb Garden had docked at Fisherman's Horizon and that he thinks Selphie is going to hold the Garden Festival there. Maybe that's why I didn't see Zell that day? He also told me that Selphie and her friends were practicing their show.
I ran into the library and told Julie that we had to go to the Garden Festival that night.
"But…uh…" she said, "I'm going with Noel".
"Who is Noel?" I asked, suspiciously.
She started to hesitate.
"Who is Noel?" I asked again, growing impatient.
"Conceited SeeD" She said as she picked up her books and walked away from me quickly. I cornered her by a desk at the back of the library.
"What!", I began to laugh, "Are you serious?!"
"…Yes", She said.
I sighed, "Well, have fun" I patted her on the shoulder and left.
"S-sorry!" She called.
I raised my hand, not looking back, and said, "It's alright! Don't worry about it".
I decided to explore Fisherman's Horizon by myself until the Festival started. As I stepped out of the library, I saw a man wearing a black cap, red shirt and blue pants.
"Hey!", he said. "You know a guy named Zell?"
I smiled, "Yes. Why do you ask".
"When I took him down on the elevator, he couldn't stop talkin' about this girl. Real pretty, he said she was. With beautiful brown eyes"
I chuckled, "That could be any girl!"
"Nope" He shook his head, "I saw many a girl walk out of that Garden today and you're the only one with pigtails!"
I tried to contain my giggling, "He said she had pigtails?"
"Yeah. And, he said that she has the right curves in the right places"
"Oh my!"
"Yep. He wants to you come to the Garden Festival tonight. He said he has something to tell you".
I grinned, "Okay. Thank you". I walked across the large crane and into the main section of F.H. where the Inn was.
I was getting way too tired to stay up any longer so, I decided to go into the Inn and rest until the Festival started. I slept on the cold, hard bunk bed until some laughing from outside woke me up. No light peeked in the window so, I figured it was time.
As I walked to the site of the Garden Festival, I saw the "Cowboy" and Selphie talking to Squall and Rinoa. I waited until they all left and then, followed behind. As I neared the stage, music began to play. A pleasant Irish Jig filled my ears. I looked at the stage, and saw Zell…tap dancing! I couldn't contain my laughter!
"Oh Hyne!", I chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Someone said from behind me.
I looked back and saw Julie and "Conceited Se"-wait…Noel.
"Look at Zell!" I pointed at the stage as Julie and Noel each burst into a laughing fit. They finally stopped and wiped the tears from their eyes.
"We'll be seein' ya" Noel said as he and Julie walked off, arm in arm.
The song finished and Zell stepped off of the stage, waving to random people in the audience as if he were a superstar.
His eyes met mine and he came running, "Come with me" he said as he took my hand. He led me to a corner away from the crowd. There were three small candles to illuminate the dark spot.
"Let's dance", he said.
"Uh…There's no music…" I said, skeptically.
"Oh yeah", he said while pondering, He looked at the stage and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a walkie talkie! "Irvine…Do you read?" He said into it.
"Yeah", I heard "Irvine" say through the little device.
"Hit it, BABY!" Zell yelled. He put the machine down as a familiar song started to play from the stage but, this time, I heard Selphie singing.
"You set my soul at ease
Chased darkness out of view", She sang. Amazingly, she sounded halfway decent.
I put my arms around Zell's neck as he placed his around my waist. My entire my body shook, I couldn't believe it!
"Left your desperate spell on me
Say you feel it too I know you do"
I started to wonder if Zell was feeling as excited as I was.
"I've got so much more to give
This can't die, I yearn to live"
I didn't want this moment to end. I closed my eyes and sighed.
"Pour yourself all over me
And I'll cherish every drop here on my knees"
I opened my eyes for a split second. I could swear I saw a tear roll down his face. As the chorus started, he pulled me closer.
"I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you"
Zell whispered the words in my ear as Selphie sang. I got chills in my spine.
"10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do"
I wanted him forever. I never wanted to let go.
"Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
and felt the fire of your sweet embrace
I swear I knew
I wanna love you forever"
"In my mind's eye I remember the way he smiled at me the first day I saw him. I remembered the way I would carry him to the Infirmary. I remembered how we danced at the SeeD ball.
"My mind fails to understand
What my heart tells me to do"
Zell started to sing the words and my mind went blank.
"And I'd give up all I have just to be with you
And that would do
I've always been taught to win
And I never thought I'd fail
Be at the mercy of a man,"
When I came to the Garden, I never expected this…I could never imagine this happening.
"I've never been
Now I only want to be right where you are"
"Don't leave me, Zell. Please".
"I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
and felt the fire of your sweet embrace
I swear I knew
I wanna love you forever"
"Zell…"
"In my life I've learned that heaven never waits
Let's take this now before it's gone like yesterday"
"Please, Zell. Tell me you love me now…"
"Cuz when I'm with you there's nowhere else
That I would ever wanna be, no"
"Don't leave me again!"
"I'm breathing for the next second I can feel you Loving me,
I'm gonna love you forever"
The song faded away as did Zell's singing.
He smiled at me and looked me in the eye, "I love you, Bette".
I felt my heart skip a beat. I pulled him close to me and hugged him, "I love you too".
He then pulled something out of his pocket: a tiny little box. He opened it and, inside, was a small silver ring,
"Promise me that you'll love me forever, Bette" He took the ring out of the box and pulled my hand close to him.
"I promise!"
He slipped the ring on my middle finger and kissed me softly.
For the rest of the night, we watched the stars. There, we stayed as the candles burnt out and the Sun rose…
I couldn't believe how messed up everything had been. Every time something good was about to happen, we were interrupted! I just needed one more chance and I would tell him how I truly felt…
After my library duty was over, I went back to my dorm to sleep. I didn't change into my pajamas. I just slept. I slept all night and woke up at 1pm, which was truly amazing because I always woke up before 10:00.
I got out of bed and walked out of my room, without bathing or changing my clothes. There was no library duty awaiting me that day so, I just walked around all day, talking to all of my friends and acquaintances. I played Triple Triad, losing every time. I never was very good at cards. It started to get bored until I came across Nida. He told me that Balamb Garden had docked at Fisherman's Horizon and that he thinks Selphie is going to hold the Garden Festival there. Maybe that's why I didn't see Zell that day? He also told me that Selphie and her friends were practicing their show.
I ran into the library and told Julie that we had to go to the Garden Festival that night.
"But…uh…" she said, "I'm going with Noel".
"Who is Noel?" I asked, suspiciously.
She started to hesitate.
"Who is Noel?" I asked again, growing impatient.
"Conceited SeeD" She said as she picked up her books and walked away from me quickly. I cornered her by a desk at the back of the library.
"What!", I began to laugh, "Are you serious?!"
"…Yes", She said.
I sighed, "Well, have fun" I patted her on the shoulder and left.
"S-sorry!" She called.
I raised my hand, not looking back, and said, "It's alright! Don't worry about it".
I decided to explore Fisherman's Horizon by myself until the Festival started. As I stepped out of the library, I saw a man wearing a black cap, red shirt and blue pants.
"Hey!", he said. "You know a guy named Zell?"
I smiled, "Yes. Why do you ask".
"When I took him down on the elevator, he couldn't stop talkin' about this girl. Real pretty, he said she was. With beautiful brown eyes"
I chuckled, "That could be any girl!"
"Nope" He shook his head, "I saw many a girl walk out of that Garden today and you're the only one with pigtails!"
I tried to contain my giggling, "He said she had pigtails?"
"Yeah. And, he said that she has the right curves in the right places"
"Oh my!"
"Yep. He wants to you come to the Garden Festival tonight. He said he has something to tell you".
I grinned, "Okay. Thank you". I walked across the large crane and into the main section of F.H. where the Inn was.
I was getting way too tired to stay up any longer so, I decided to go into the Inn and rest until the Festival started. I slept on the cold, hard bunk bed until some laughing from outside woke me up. No light peeked in the window so, I figured it was time.
As I walked to the site of the Garden Festival, I saw the "Cowboy" and Selphie talking to Squall and Rinoa. I waited until they all left and then, followed behind. As I neared the stage, music began to play. A pleasant Irish Jig filled my ears. I looked at the stage, and saw Zell…tap dancing! I couldn't contain my laughter!
"Oh Hyne!", I chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Someone said from behind me.
I looked back and saw Julie and "Conceited Se"-wait…Noel.
"Look at Zell!" I pointed at the stage as Julie and Noel each burst into a laughing fit. They finally stopped and wiped the tears from their eyes.
"We'll be seein' ya" Noel said as he and Julie walked off, arm in arm.
The song finished and Zell stepped off of the stage, waving to random people in the audience as if he were a superstar.
His eyes met mine and he came running, "Come with me" he said as he took my hand. He led me to a corner away from the crowd. There were three small candles to illuminate the dark spot.
"Let's dance", he said.
"Uh…There's no music…" I said, skeptically.
"Oh yeah", he said while pondering, He looked at the stage and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a walkie talkie! "Irvine…Do you read?" He said into it.
"Yeah", I heard "Irvine" say through the little device.
"Hit it, BABY!" Zell yelled. He put the machine down as a familiar song started to play from the stage but, this time, I heard Selphie singing.
"You set my soul at ease
Chased darkness out of view", She sang. Amazingly, she sounded halfway decent.
I put my arms around Zell's neck as he placed his around my waist. My entire my body shook, I couldn't believe it!
"Left your desperate spell on me
Say you feel it too I know you do"
I started to wonder if Zell was feeling as excited as I was.
"I've got so much more to give
This can't die, I yearn to live"
I didn't want this moment to end. I closed my eyes and sighed.
"Pour yourself all over me
And I'll cherish every drop here on my knees"
I opened my eyes for a split second. I could swear I saw a tear roll down his face. As the chorus started, he pulled me closer.
"I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you"
Zell whispered the words in my ear as Selphie sang. I got chills in my spine.
"10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do"
I wanted him forever. I never wanted to let go.
"Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
and felt the fire of your sweet embrace
I swear I knew
I wanna love you forever"
"In my mind's eye I remember the way he smiled at me the first day I saw him. I remembered the way I would carry him to the Infirmary. I remembered how we danced at the SeeD ball.
"My mind fails to understand
What my heart tells me to do"
Zell started to sing the words and my mind went blank.
"And I'd give up all I have just to be with you
And that would do
I've always been taught to win
And I never thought I'd fail
Be at the mercy of a man,"
When I came to the Garden, I never expected this…I could never imagine this happening.
"I've never been
Now I only want to be right where you are"
"Don't leave me, Zell. Please".
"I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
and felt the fire of your sweet embrace
I swear I knew
I wanna love you forever"
"Zell…"
"In my life I've learned that heaven never waits
Let's take this now before it's gone like yesterday"
"Please, Zell. Tell me you love me now…"
"Cuz when I'm with you there's nowhere else
That I would ever wanna be, no"
"Don't leave me again!"
"I'm breathing for the next second I can feel you Loving me,
I'm gonna love you forever"
The song faded away as did Zell's singing.
He smiled at me and looked me in the eye, "I love you, Bette".
I felt my heart skip a beat. I pulled him close to me and hugged him, "I love you too".
He then pulled something out of his pocket: a tiny little box. He opened it and, inside, was a small silver ring,
"Promise me that you'll love me forever, Bette" He took the ring out of the box and pulled my hand close to him.
"I promise!"
He slipped the ring on my middle finger and kissed me softly.
For the rest of the night, we watched the stars. There, we stayed as the candles burnt out and the Sun rose…